Cedar Shake Siding: Pros And Cons

If you are thinking about what kind of siding to use for your house, you’ve surly stumbled across charming cedar shake siding. Before you give the green light on this siding though, it’s important to understand the pros and cons of using cedar instead of vinyl or another material for your siding.

Pros of Cedar Shake Siding

Cedar shake siding has the benefit of being an attractive siding choice, as cedar is a timeless, classic material that has been around for a long time. You can treat your cedar shake siding with a finish, oil or stain for a look that will give your home a unique charm you can treasure for years.

Cedar shake siding is also durable, as it is resistant to decay caused by water or insects. Cedar even contains natural preservatives that kill fungi and other bacteria. Cedar is also a safe, environmentally friendly renewable resource that won’t give off toxic fumes if it catches on fire. To protect your home from a fire, you can treat your cedar shake siding with a fire-retardant treatment. Cedar is a renewable resource, too: cedar trees absorb greenhouse gas emissions and are planted frequently, helping the environment. Cedar shake siding is also biodegradable so there’s less of an environmental concern once cedar siding has run it’s course.

Cons of Cedar Shake Siding

Although cedar shake siding has a lot of benefits, there are also some drawbacks. Cedar shake siding is more expensive, at $5.00 to $7.00 per square foot, compared to $3.00 to $4.00 for vinyl siding. Maintaining cedar shake siding is also more expensive than maintaining other materials, because it has to be painted or stained every three to five years to maintain its appearance. Unfortunately if you have painted cedar shake siding, you can’t just paint over it for a new coat—you have to chip off the old paint before you repaint it. There will also come a time when you'll have to decide if your home's cedar siding needs to be replaced all together.

If cedar shake siding is not painted or finished every few years, it will be susceptible to rot, whereas vinyl siding does not carry this risk. Cedar is also susceptible to damage from birds like woodpeckers. Having cedar wood siding is also more risky because cedar is more susceptible to fire damage than vinyl or other non-wood siding, even with a fire-retardant treatment.

Is Cedar Shake Siding Worth the Investment?

After considering the pros and cons of choosing cedar shake siding for your home, it is up to you to decide if cedar shake siding is right fit for your needs. If you live in an area where you have a low fire and storm risk, your home won’t be as susceptible to the damage caused by these conditions. If the look of cedar is important to you and you are willing to take on the extra cost as well as the maintenance commitment required to ensure your cedar shake siding stays in good condition, having cedar shake siding on your home can be a great source of satisfaction and add unique old fashioned charm to your home's curb appeal.